Back on December 12, 2011 former Edmonton Eskimos GM Eric Tillman stunned the CFL by dealing Ricky Ray to the Toronto Argonauts for a first-round pick , quarterback Steven Jyles and kicker Grant Shaw.

Some called it the worst trade in CFL history. Others compared it to the infamous Wayne Gretzky trade. A few even suggested a league-wide conspiracy to bring excitement back to a dead Toronto market.

At the time, Tillman said he expected a strong backlash but seemed surprised by how vicious the criticism was. Those close to him said he felt the trade was best long-term for the Eskimos, and that he hoped for a more patient reaction after helping turn the 2-8 club he inherited mid-season into a winning 11-7 record in his first full year as GM, along with Edmonton’s first home playoff win since 2004.

When aggressively challenged on the deal, Tillman spoke with glowing praise of Ray’s character, calling him one of the greatest to ever play in the CFL, but defended the deal with concerns about the number of hits the then-32-year-old was starting to take behind what the GM saw as a poor offensive line.

Tillman elaborated further saying he believed Matt Nichols, with development behind Jyles, had the potential to turn into a solid CFL starting quarterback.

Fast-forward five years as Ray returns to Commonwealth for what will be his 90th – and perhaps last – game as a member of the Argos, perspectives may have changed some for anyone who can look back in fairness instead of emotion.

Over his 89 regular-season games with Toronto, Ray’s record is 24-27-38 – as in 24 wins as a starter, 27 losses as a starter, and a staggering 38 games missed due to injury. The highlight of his time in Double Blue, of course, was winning the 2012 Grey Cup, with his team catching fire in the playoffs after a 9-9 regular season. But, missing over 40% of his games injured between 2012-16 certainly shows Tillman was correct in part of his assessment.

In fact, five years later, several things have become much clearer:

1) Tillman may have been ahead of many of his critics – media and fans – who didn’t share his concerns about Ray’s advancing age and future injury concerns. It’s hard to argue with more games missed injured than games won.

2) He seems to have been correct about Nichols, too. At age 29, Nichols has emerged as a legitimate starter in Winnipeg. The Blue Bombers finished the season 11-7, and much of that success is related to Nichols passing for 3,666 yards with a near-70% completion percentage while throwing exactly twice as many touchdowns passes as interceptions.

3) The Ray trade would have a significantly different view now, if not for a twist of fate. You can’t discuss it fairly without mentioning the elephant in the room. Or, more accurately, the elephant who never made it to the Eskimos locker-room.
With that first-round pick acquired from the Argos, Tillman drafted monster-sized six-foot-seven, 315-pound Canadian offensive lineman Austin Pasztor out of the University of Virginia. After originally singing with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent, he was cut by Vikings in late August. Pasztor flew to Edmonton for the 2012 Labour Day game at Commonwealth Stadium. Only hours away from signing with the Eskimos, he received a call from Jacksonville, who had just lost two offensive lineman to injury. The rest, as they say, is history. Pasztor now has 50-plus games active in the NFL, including 30 starts, mostly at right tackle. And he’s still only 25. How many Canadians are good enough to start in the NFL?

So, that twist kept the Eskimos from adding two foundational Canadian offensive lineman in one month, seeing as only days earlier, Tillman had traded veteran American receiver Gregg Carr for Matt O’Donnell, now a fixture in Green and Gold.
Debates aside, the past is mostly the past. Well, except for Saturday, and one last well deserved thunderous ovation for one of the all-time great CFL quarterbacks, Ricky Ray. A true legend and gentleman.

And, while many will debate the merits of that stunning trade made five years ago, none can argue with what followed: The brilliant decision made by Tillman’s replacement, Ed Hervey, who traded a third-round draft pick for pending free agent Mike Reilly.

No doubt, the Ray trade on Dec. 11, 2011 rocked the CFL world and played a big role in the decision to fire the controversial Tillman – in spite of his winning record (23-21) as the Eskimos GM. But, the trade made on Jan. 31, 2013 by Hervey, his popular successor, opened the door to a new era and a Grey Cup championship.

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